Social Media websites are awash with an undated video of Maharashtra Cabinet Minister for Housing Dr Jitendra Awhad in which he is seen declaiming that Allah was prescient to know in 2011 itself that the menace of coronavirus was going to hit the world in 2020 and therefore they (government) had built a graveyard in time.
Speaking at an event, Awhad could be seen gloating that his government had already predicted in 2011 that the scourge of COVID-19 would hit the country in 2020 and had therefore authorised the construction of a graveyard in the region, presumably to accommodate those who would die of the coronavirus.
“अल्लाह को 2011 में ही पता था की 2020 में कोरोना आयेगा; जो भी करता है वो अल्लाह ही करता है”
— आलू बोंडा (@ek_aalu_bonda) February 20, 2021
~ @Awhadspeaks MVA minister. pic.twitter.com/PYaY4FwY8V
“Allah knew in 2011 itself that the world would be hit by the deadly coronavirus in 2020 and therefore we had built the graveyard in time,” Awhad could be heard saying to rapturous applause.
It is unclear as to when Dr Jitendra Awhad made the remarks but from the video, it appears that the video is from the recent past and is from an opening ceremony of an NCP office under the jurisdiction of a local corporator Farzana Shakir Sheikh.
Dr Jitendra Awhad tested positive for coronavirus
While Maha Vikas Aghadi minister bragged that Allah knew about the coronavirus outbreak back in 2011 itself, the Minister for Housing also could not elude the wrath of the contagion. Back in April 2020, Awhad was tested positive for the virus and had admitted himself to a private hospital in Thane for a precautionary check-up. Earlier, Awhad was under home quarantine along with 15 members of his family for a week after reports had emerged that some of his security staff tested were positive for the novel coronavirus.